25 January 2010

“Yeah, our parents had… a sense of humour” Tom replied after the brothers exchanged glances. It was indeed not the first time they had heard that observation.

“So, we just need you to stick on the wing and whip in a few crosses.” Jez said turning back to his brother, “Simple stuff, their left back looks a bit suspect but he’s quick.”

“Sounds good.” said Tom, tying his boot laces. Turning to Jools, “Back in a bit.” He gave her a smile and a wink then ran off to join the rest of the team.

“You must be special,” said Jez without looking at Jools, “he never takes customers anywhere, little lone pretty girls such as yourself.” Jools, although confused couldn’t help but smile. She wasn’t accustomed to compliments.

“What do you mean?”

“Tom, he’s… well he’s quite a lonely character. Goes out with these guys,” Jerry continued, motioning towards the team, “maybe twice a week at most, otherwise he just sits in his flat reading.”

“He hits me as being quite sociable and kind”

“Kind, yeah. Sociable, when he wants to be. But, him bringing you here, it’s a good thing.” Replied Jez, finally turning to Jools and a smile spread across his face. “I haven’t seen him smile like he did at you for quite a while.” Jools smiled again, “We’ve not had the easiest childhoods and he’s just locked it all up inside. I have to live with it everyday.” He continued looking down at his leg. Jools looked towards Tom, he was warming up with the team constantly smiling and laughing. He glanced over and saw Jools looking over. He gave a little wave. Suddenly, the ball was passed to him but he wasn’t concentrating and hit him in the midriff. Tom crumpled on the floor to cheers of elation from the rest of the team. Slowly, Tom got up breathing heavily and gingerly walked over towards the sideline to take up his position before the match began. The referee blew his whistle and the two captains were called together, after the coin toss the match was underway.

Once the match was over, the players went in to the changing rooms, and Tom went across to Jez and Jools. It had just started to rain, Jez had brought an umbrella and both he and Jools were stood beneath it.

“I’m just going to run back to the shop and have a shower, I said to the guys we should go down to the Nags Head for a celebratory drink.”

“We lost bro.” replied Jez, slightly confused.

“Meh, that’s just a technicality.”

“How is it a celebratory drink then” asked Jools, equally confused but attracted to Tom’s enthusiasm.

He put her down and ran off, back towards the shop. “See you there in 20 minutes” he called back.

“You going to come, you’re more than welcome to.” Asked Jez as they made their way out of the park.

“No, I should probably get going. Here’s £15, for the book.” Jools handed Jerry the money and the umbrella, “tell him, thank you.” With that, Jools stepped out in to the rain and crossed the road. A little further down the road, Tom turned a corner still smiling, he saw Jools crossing the road and disappearing down a side a street, his smile quickly disappeared. He ran over to Jez and took the umbrella.

“Wheres…?”

“She’s not coming to the pub,” Jez handed Tom the money, “For the book. She said ‘thanks’. Sorry bro.”

2 January 2010

“Excuse me?” The girl said, a few minutes later, Tom’s eyes didn’t leave his book but he murmured a response to signify his attention. The girl’s eyes were still browsing the bookshelves, “Do you have anything by Kingsley Amis?”

Tom, still without his eyes leaving the page of his book, thought for a bit, “One I believe, The Old Devils, I think it’s called. That’ll be on shelf F6” replied Tom. The girl looked around on all the shelves but couldn’t find any sort of referencing system to indicate which shelf was shelf F6.

“And that would be where?” said the girl with a wry smile. Tom looked up, slightly taken aback by the question but then realizing that only he knew his referencing system. He placed his book gently face down on the desk and sprang up, with the smile back on his face, to a bookshelf and started browsing through it himself. After going over the specific shelf a few times he turned to the girl with a slightly confused expression.

“I can’t seem to find it, very odd. I could have sworn it was there?” By this time the girl had moved around to his desk and began to giggle. Tom looked to where she was looking on his desk. The book he was reading was the one she was looking for. “Ah.” Said Tom slightly embarrassed.

“You must have been enjoying it, like, not realizing it was a book almost?”

“I was, but I do that with most books, I want to feel like I’m there and not just an objective bystander looking in from above”

“It’s surprising how many people are content with being just that. They think the whole act of reading is enough.” Replied the girl.

“I couldn’t agree more, just because you have looked at the words doesn’t mean you’ve read the book” said Tom, getting a little agitated. It was clear to the girl that Tom was even more passionate about books than she had initially thought.

“I can come back another time,” she said, “you know, when you’re done with it?”

“No, no, please take it. I can always get another one.” The girl smiled and so did Tom. They looked in to each other’s eyes momentarily and the silence stretched.

Just then, the small bell above the door rang and a small boy rushing in interrupted the moment.

“Ok Ryan, I’ll be there in five seconds, go back and tell the others I’m on my way” Tom turned in to the back office, grabbing his coat and a small draw-string bag. “I’ve got to close for a couple of hours,” he said turning to the girl, “I’m sorry, I didn’t catch your name?” he said holding out a hand.

“Jools,” she said placing her hand in Tom’s.

“Jools. I’m Tom,” he said smiling broadly, “bring the book. You busy?”

“No, not right now! Wh…”

“Come on then” Tom held on to her hand and dragged her out of the bookshop. He slammed the door shut and turned the lock. The sign on the door had swung round, when he had shut it, to show ‘closed’.

Still holding on to her hand they walked around the corner in to a park, where there were football pitches with players doing warm-ups on every one. They approached a man in his early thirties with shorter hair a little shorter than Tom’s and a crutch standing at the edge of one of the pitches.

“Ah, bro, glad you’re here, Brad was arrested last night for drunken behavior and failed to tell any of us in time to bail him out.”

“What did he do?” asked Tom.

“Said he was a pregnant woman and needed to piss inside a bobby’s helmet. Then got aggressive when they wouldn’t let him.” Said Jez. They all smiled and Jools, moved to Tom’s side.

“Ah Jez, this is Jools, we just met and have a transaction still to complete so I dragged her here to make sure she doesn’t make a runner,” he turned to Jools, smiled and winked. “Jools, this is my brother Jerry.”

“How’s it going?” asked Jez. Jools giggled again.

“I’m fine thanks” replied Jools, still giggling a little bit.

“What’s funny?” asked Tom.

“I’m sorry, you probably always get it but, Tom and Jerry?” she said trying to regain her composure. The brothers sighed.